About Us

What is Insight (Vipassana) Meditation?

Insight Meditation or Vipassana (pronounced “vi-pah-sa-na”), which means clear seeing, is the meditation practice in the Theravada school of Buddhism. Theravada means the way of the elders. Vipassana is a way of seeing things as they truly are and not just what we’d like them to be or think they should be. It has been practiced in Asia, the home of the Buddha, for over 2500 years and here in the West for about 60 years. Mindfulness is at the heart of practice. The breath is used as the focus of our attention which can lead to calm. It isn’t about controlling the breath, but letting the breath bring us to the present moment which is the only moment there is.

In the present moment we can relax and learn to trust life as it is happening. We learn not to resist what is but with compassion and kindness to accept whatever is happening. From that acceptance we develop an open heartedness to ourselves and to our lived experience. There is no way to do this practice wrong so we learn to drop all of our judgments and just pay attention!

The ultimate aim of the practice is the ending of our suffering and the discovery of an unconditioned and complete freedom.

When Do We Meet?

We typically meet on three Sundays each month.

Two of the meetings are teacher-led talks. They are comprised of an introduction, a 30-40-minute meditation, a 10-minute tea break/social time, and an hour-long dharma talk. Periodically we may have three teacher-led talks in one month.

The other meeting is our peer-led sangha. We gather to meditate, study, read, and discuss Dharma teachings and our practices.

Teacher-led talks are held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM in 2022 but will move to 4:00 – 6:00 PM in 2023. Peer-led sanghas are always held from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.

Please refer to the Calendar page for dates and speakers.

Where Do We meet?

All teacher-led meetings will be held in a hybrid format (in-person plus the Zoom option) downstairs in the undercroft of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (120 East J Street, Benicia, CA.)

The monthly Peer-Led meetings will be held upstairs in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s, in person only.

Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6448543811

What if I’ve Never Meditated or Know Nothing about Buddhism?

You won’t be alone. Many meditators are “first timers” or relatively new to meditation. It is a life-long practice. If you would prefer not to meditate, feel free to arrive after meditation, for the dharma talk only. In this case, we suggest arriving around 6:45 pm.

What is DANA?

The Benicia Sangha functions, as Buddhist gatherings have for thousands of years, on the basis of “dana,” the Pali word for giving and generosity. This Buddhist tradition is based on the premise that the Buddha’s teachings are so precious that attaching a specific monetary value is impossible. Consequently, Buddhist teachers offer their teachings freely. In return, those benefiting from a teaching have the opportunity to express their appreciation, in a financial or other way if they are able, by making a contribution at whatever level is personally appropriate. Contributions go toward supporting our teachers’ lives, as well as overhead, including room rent, insurance, and website hosting. Dana can be offered on our Donate/Dana link. While dana of your treasures is important, so are your time and talents. To learn about volunteering with Benicia Insight Meditation, please contact us at beniciasangha@gmail.com

Volunteer to Help the Sangha

There are a number of ways individuals can serve the Sangha. Those who volunteer consider it a part of their Buddhist practice.
If you have questions or would like to be added to our email announcement of Sangha meetings or if you have suggestions or want to contact someone to volunteer, please write to: beniciasangha@gmail.com